The Timekeeper
by Joy Pedler
Summary: Before he was Timekeeper Raymond Leon, he was a man. A desparate man who was head-over-heels in love
1. Chapter 1

Raymond was running. Running to work, running home, running from the clock on his arm that constantly ticked, counting down the time till his death.

Amy didn't run. She slept late, took her time, stopped to smell the roses.

Raymond knew that one day that would have to stop. That very soon she'd start running. Once her clock started she'd realize that roses simply weren't on the agenda any more.

Right now Raymond was running home. Back to the tiny apartment he shared with Amy. He'd been 25 for 3 years now. He was working in the factories, as all male members of the Dayton community did.

Amy was teaching. At 24 years and 11.99 months of age she was teaching school children.

Raymond saw it as a pointless endeavour. She didn't earn much, which although didn't bother her now he knew would in a few months time. He didn't tell her though. Amy had always preached doing what you love rather than what paid well. He reasoned that this was one of the many factors contributing to why he was so smitten with her.

Having reached the apartment Raymond slowed down, and opening the front door as silently as possible he tiptoed into the bedroom.

Amy was already asleep, her long, slender frame visible under the thin sheets.

Raymond removed his boots and overalls and slid in next to her, wrapping his arms around her torso, breathing in the smell of her hair.

Amy always smelled like the sidewalk after it had been raining. That was another thing Raymond loved about her.

Amy grumbled a little in her sleep, and rolled over to face him.

"You're late," she commented sleepily, rubbing her eyes.

"I'm sorry," Raymond apologized sincerely. "I stayed back so I could make some more time,"

Amy was awake now and looking at Raymond with her big green eyes.

"Why?" she enquired, rubbing a spot of grease off of Raymond's face with her thumb.

"Well I want to be able to treat you to something special tomorrow night," he replied.

Amy yawned.

"I can't believe I'm almost 25," she remarked, rolling back over so her back was to Raymond. Raymond pulled her close to him, letting her body heat wash over him.

"Good night Amy," he murmured gently, lips pressing lightly against her ear.

"I love you Ray," she said in a whisper, eyes closed as she slowly descended into sleep.

Raymond rubbed the stopped clock on her arm with his thumb. She had a whole year. A year to spend on bills, food and transport. He knew that sometime the next day she'd be jolted out of whatever she was doing, maybe teaching, maybe on the shuttle home. She'd feel a sudden shock on her arm that would spread to the rest of her body. Maybe she'd fall over, maybe she'd let out a gasp. Whatever did happen he knew that when she would next look at her arm she'd get chills, as she would watch the green numbers slowly ticking down.

But for now she would sleep deeply and soundly. She wouldn't wake every few minutes to check, she wouldn't cry herself to sleep some nights because she didn't have enough time. But that would only be temporary. Raymond knew that in the course of the next day she'd start to never stop checking how much time she had.

Raymond closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep.

Amy had always insisted that being a public servant was one of the most rewarding careers to pursue. Being a teacher was close but not quite that sort of job according to her, and making time holders didn't count.

"It just seems like you make them only for the people who can afford more time," she'd chide as she sat on the couch, marking the tests of the children she'd teach.

"You said being a public servant meant little pay and doing stuff for other people," he responded, laying his head on her lap. "Doesn't my job sound like that?"

She pushed his head off her lap and smiled, continuing to mark, glasses sliding down her nose.

"It's not public service if only the rich benefit," she explained, setting the papers aside.

Raymond leaned over and planted a kiss on her cheek.

"Well you can be the public servant and I'll bring home the time," he whispered, making sure his breath tickled her neck. He felt blood rush through his veins as she shivered, turning her head towards him. Her lips twitched in anticipation, until Raymond leaned over and connected their lips.

Raymond woke in the morning to the light of his clock. He had less than a day and needed to get to work early if he was going to make enough to get Amy something unbelievably special. Slowly, silently he extricated himself from their intertwined position. Somehow in the middle of the night Amy had rolled over to face him and twined their legs together. Despite the fact that this position sent pleasurable shivers down Raymond's spine, he needed to get to work. And soon.

Overalls and boots on, Raymond leaned over and placed a soft kiss on Amy's forehead, and walked silently out the door.

He started running as soon as he was certain that it wouldn't wake Amy.

He arrived at work earlier than he'd anticipated, and had to wait for the on-site manager to arrive.

"You're here early today Leon," he commented, unlocking the building.

"It's my girlfriend's birthday, and I need enough time to get her something special," he replied, walking in after him.

"Well you'd better get to work then," the manager said kindly, unlocking the door to the production area.

Raymond thanked him, and made his way to his area, where he began pulling levers almost immediately. The others began filtering in an hour later, and soon the sound of clanking and groaning was filling the room.

"Oi Leon!" Bedat called from the station beside him. "Why were you here so early?"

"It's Amy's birthday, I wanted enough time to treat her," he replied, shouting over the sound of mechanical noises.

A whistle sounded the end of the day, and eventually all of the machines came to a stop.

"Well here," Bedat said, taking Raymond's hand. Raymond watched as 30 minutes were added to his clock.

"Now you can get her something even better," he said jovially, patting Raymond on the back.

The rest of his co-workers followed suit. All of them grabbed his hand on the way out. Some gave a couple of minutes, others an hour. In the end Raymond now had an extra day and a half on his clock.

Raymond thanked each and every one of them profusely.

When he clicked out the manager grabbed his hand as well, and gave Raymond a whole day.

"I can't accept this," he said, trying to give the man back his time.

"Leon, we all know that girl. Some of us have kids who she tries to teach. Take it," he said kindly. "Get her something she deserves,"

Raymond now had 3 and half days on his clock.

1 for dinner and 1 one for a gift.

Raymond could hardly contain his happiness as he ran towards town.


	2. Chapter 2

Amy loved to play chess. Her father had taught her when she was younger, and it was a love she'd carried into later life.

Raymond hated chess. With a passion.

As a compromise Amy had allowed him to add an extra twist to the game.

Now instead of regular chess they'd play strip chess. A pawn was worth a kiss. A castle was shoes and socks. Knight was jackets and hat. Bishop was pants, Queen was shirt. The king was Raymond's favourite piece. If you took the king the other person would have to remove their underwear.

Raymond liked the compromise. He disliked that Amy was much better at chess than him.

Oftentimes it'd be him in his underwear and Amy having taken off her shoes and socks.

He was getting better though. Lately it would end with both of them in their underwear, their kings chasing each other around the board.

"You're going to lose," Amy taunted, taking a pawn that she'd somehow missed. She gave Raymond a kiss and returned her focus back to the game.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Raymond replied, backing her queen into a corner with his bishop.

Amy frowned, and then moved her queen out of the way.

Raymond smirked and moved his own queen so Amy was now in check.

A chase ensued; Amy's queen attempted to defend the king, and then quickly involved her remaining knight and castle.

Eventually Raymond and Amy had their foreheads pressed together, both in deep concentration.

Raymond took Amy's queen, and then reached over to lift her shirt over her head.

Amy responded by taking his queen and returned the action.

Now it was just the kings and some stray pawns.

Neither one of them made a move, now looking into each other's eyes. Amy could feel her heart-rate speeding up. Raymond could feel adrenaline surging through his body.

He saw Amy move something out of the corner of his eye, and watched as slowly, deliberately, she knocked her king over.

Raymond knocked the chess board off the bed, sending pieces careening every which way. Amy leaned backwards so she was lying on her back. Raymond's hand found the small of her back and the back of her neck and rested comfortably there. Amy shivered beneath him, not used to the cool of his hands. Raymond leaned down and closed the gap between their lips, twining his fingers into the small curls at the back of her head.

Amy raised her hands to Raymond's head and threaded her fingers through his hair.

When Amy turned her head to the side to breathe Raymond moved his lips downwards, kissing the tender skin of her neck, loving the sound and feel of her moans.

The hand on the small of her back trailed upwards, tracing a line up to the middle of her shoulder blades. Amy's hands travelled down Raymond's back, nails scratching lightly, making Raymond let out a groan of pure, concentrated pleasure.

His hand lifted her head towards him.

"I love you Amy," he said breathlessly, chest heaving.

Amy brushed her thumb over his lips. She raised her lips to his ear, and after brushing his earlobe with her lower lip she whispered back.

"I love you Raymond,"

Raymond stopped running abruptly outside the pawn shop.

Something in the window display had caught his attention, and pulling his sleeve down he entered the shop.

"Hello, how much is that?" he asked, pointing at the item that was now glinting in the almost late afternoon sun.

The man behind the counter eyed him suspiciously before replying.

"Is 2.5 days,"

Raymond bit his lip. This morning he would have walked out the shop at the price, hell, he wouldn't have even walked in in the first place.

But his co-worker's generosity had gotten to him, so he nodded at the man.

"I'll take it," he replied straight faced.

The man shrugged and grabbed the item from the window.

"You want in box?" he asked, tossing it from side to side.

Raymond nodded. The man stuffed it in a dirty little box then held out a docking station which Raymond placed his wrist on. He watched as his 3 and a half days turned back into a day. The man placed the box on the counter and turned away from Raymond.

Stuffing the box into his pocket Raymond started to run home.

Raymond loved waking up to Amy's sleeping face. She always looked so peaceful in her sleep, her soft features highlighted by the light from her clock.

It was almost every morning that he'd wake early, before the sun was up even, and look to his side to see the face of an angel.

Some days he wouldn't leave straight away. He'd lie there for a little while, untangling her hair with his fingers. She'd smile in her sleep and nuzzle his hand, bringing herself closer to him.

She didn't wake till after he was gone on those days. Days when he'd stay a while with her.

On the days when he left as soon as he woke though, she'd wake at the slightest noise.

Raymond was tiptoeing out the bedroom when he heard rustling coming from the bed.

"Ray?" he heard Amy call out quietly. He turned and walked back to the bed. Sitting down next to her he stroked her hair.

"Good morning," he whispered, kissing her forehead gently.

"Are you leaving already?" she asked sleepily, holding his hand.

"I have to get to work," he murmured, wrapping his hand around hers.

"But the sun isn't even up yet," she mumbled, looking out the window.

"I know, but they've raised the quota, so we need to work harder," he explained.

Amy slipped her hand out of his and rolled over, going back to sleep. Raymond knew he was being shunned, so he rubbed her shoulder gently with his palm and left.

When he got home that afternoon Amy opened the door, smiled and kissed him.

"Dinner's on the table," she said gently, taking Raymond's hand and leading him into the kitchen.

Raymond had arrived back at the apartment. Judging by the fact that there wasn't a light on in any of the windows he guessed that Amy wasn't home yet. Probably still teaching.

He unlocked the door, dropping his keys and the box onto the coffee table.

He pulled off the overalls that were drenched in sweat and oil and threw them in the general direction of the sink. He'd wash them later.

Now he needed to shower and prepare for later. His nerves were racing and his heart was pumping as he turned the hot tap on. The hot didn't always work, and they hadn't paid the hot water bill for a few months, so it was more likely that a jet of cold water would come out instead.

As expected Raymond let out a gasp of surprise as the cold water hit his skin, giving him goose pimples.

Eventually the water warmed slightly, and Raymond stepped under the shower head. Amy had left a hand print on the glass of the shower door, and Raymond placed his hand over it, resting his head against the cool glass.

Amy was like a cat in some ways. A gentle scratch on the back or a head massage and she'd melt.

It was another afternoon. Amy was busy writing school reports and Raymond was lying around after a long day at work.

"Ames, can we please do something?" he whined.

"Ray I have to finish these," she responded, obviously frustrated. Raymond leaned over her from the back of the couch.

"You sound tense," he replied, trying to appear casual. Amy frowned and ignored him. Raymond threaded his fingers through Amy's hair. Before she could protest he began to massage, fingers moving in slow circular movements.

Amy let out a sigh and leaned backwards. Raymond kissed her cheek as his fingers slid downwards to her neck where his thumb massaged the space where her neck met her back.

"There are going to be some very aggravated parents come report time," she murmured, eyelids drooping sleepily.

"Do I look like I care?" Raymond asked, massaging her shoulders.


End file.
